It’s nearly time to get your frying pan out and let fly in the kitchen. February 13 is Shrove Tuesday – more commonly known as pancake day.

Traditionally it’s the last opportunity to use up luxury foods like meat, eggs and dairy before Lent starts the following day, Ash Wednesday, the first of 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter.

Lent represents the time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, hence the giving up of certain foods.

But the custom of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday (so-called as it was the day Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were shriven of their sins) is believed to have its origins in a Pagan ritual heralding the return of spring that was adopted by the early Catholic Church.

Certainly, these starch-based flat cakes cooked on a hot griddle or pan have been around in one form or another since prehistoric times.

They were a firm favourite with both the ancient Greeks and Romans who ate them drizzled with honey.

The Elizabethans, apparently, used wine, sherry or ale as the main liquid for the batter rather than milk (presumably there was no law against being drunk in charge of a galloping horse) and enjoyed them with spices, rose water and apple.

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Over the centuries, golden syrup, fresh lemon juice, jam and caster sugar have all became the accepted Shrove Tuesday pancake toppings.

Nowadays, however, Shrove Tuesday is less about observing a religious feast than an excuse to indulge in a flipping good sweet or savoury treat that is equally at home being enjoyed for breakfast, teamed with bacon and maple syrup, as it is for brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert.

If you fancy rustling up a few pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, why not try one of the following unusual but moreish recipes suggested by three North East culinary connoisseurs? Simple to make and a joy to eat, they will ensure you can enjoy Pancake Day without any flops.

Stunning to look at, these New York diner-style red velvet pancakes drizzled with a moreish cream cheese glaze make a delicious sweet lunch or teatime Shrove Tuesday treat.

And with Valentine’s Day falling hot on the heels of Shrove Tuesday this year, what better way to pamper your loved one than by whisking up a batch of vibrant heart-shaped red pancakes smothered in chocolate sauce?

Red Velvet Pancakes

(Makes 8)

225g self-raising flour, sifted

1tsp baking powder

100g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

30g unsalted butter, melted

250mls milk

1tbsp red food colouring

2tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

A little unsalted butter for cooking

Cream Cheese Syrup:

110g cream cheese

2 tbsp milk

55g icing sugar

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Make a well in the middle, add the eggs and beat well.

Gently pour in the melted butter, milk and red food colouring. Depending on the strength of the food colouring you are using, you may need more or slightly less than one tablespoon to achieve the desired hue (note that the red will be darker with the addition of the cocoa powder).

Fold in the cocoa powder.

To cook, heat a knob of unsalted butter in a frying pan and add a ladle of the mixture to make a pancake approximately 10cm in diameter. Cook until you see bubbles appearing on the surface.

Flip over and cook for a further minute.

To make the syrup, mix all the ingredients together until you achieve the texture of thick pouring cream.

David Barella's seafood pancake served as a starter (Image: Newcastle Journal)

As you’d expect of an inn overlooking Seahouses’ picturesque harbour, seafood features heavily on the specials board.

And David has put it to good use in these savoury pancakes. Fish stock may sound fiddly to make but it gives an extra dimension to this easy-to-prepare Shrove Tuesday dish.

While David has used cod, salmon and prawns, any fish is suitable.

A main meal for four, this dish can also be served as a starter.

Pass a can of tinned tomatoes through a sieve, season and heat.

Using a scone cutter, form three discs from each pancake. Pour a little of the tomato sauce on to each plate, lay one disc in the centre and build a stack by alternating the seafood filling with a pancake round. Finish with grated cheese.

To make the pancake batter, sieve the flour, salt and turmeric into a bowl and make a well in the middle.

Add the egg and milk gradually, incorporating from the sides, and whisk until smooth. Leave to rest.

Make the fish stock by bringing all the ingredients to the boil and simmering for 20 minutes. Mix in the melted butter.

Next, cook the pancakes. Wipe the base of a non-stick frying pan with some oiled kitchen paper and heat until smoking hot.

Ladle in enough of the pancake batter to form a thin layer covering the bottom of the pan. Cook for a few seconds until golden. Flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter until you have four pancakes.

Stack them on a plate and keep warm.

Lightly poach the fish in the stock until cooked. Remove and set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the butter, add the shallots and fennel, and gently sweat until soft.

Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is absorbed. Slowly add the fish stock, stirring continuously until it is cooked out. Take the pan off the heat and add the cream.

Bring back to a boil, remove from the heat and check for seasoning. Sprinkle in the parsley.

Gently fold in the seafood to avoid the fish breaking up.

Lay the pancakes flat and spoon a quarter of the seafood mixture down the middle. Roll up and place in a baking dish.

Top with the Cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

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Place the brown ale and caster sugar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer on a medium heat.

Reduce by around half until the mixture starts to thicken and forms a syrup. Leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and cook the bacon and black pudding for 15-17 minutes.

While the bacon and black pudding are cooking, make the pancakes.

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Heat a pan and rub with a little oil. Place a ladle full of the mixture into the pan. Turn the pan down to a medium heat and cook the batter for between two and three minutes each side until fluffy and golden.

Repeat this process until you have the required number of pancakes.

Place them on a serving plate and scatter over the bacon and black pudding.